Space rock claims out of this world

As online searches for "space rocks" soar in the wake of the Russian meteorite crash, a Beijing geologist has warned shoppers they run the risk of wasting money trying to get hold of a space souvenir.

Taobao, China's largest online marketplace, said in its daily digital bulletin on Sunday that results for the word "meteor" in Chinese rose 750 percent last week.

The surge in interest came after a meteor crashed to Earth near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on Feb 15. The resulting sonic boom injured 1,200 people and damaged thousands of homes.

The owner of Piaoliang-qianjin, an online store in Beijing, advertised on its website a possible use for a small part the rock: "A fragment of the meteorite that hit Russia. Ideal material for a wedding ring." The price listed was 100,000 yuan ($16,000).

However, the picture accompanying the advertisement was from a Chinese news report.

The owner of the store was unavailable for comment, although the website shows the "space rock" has so far attracted no buyers.

A simple search on Taobao by China Daily found more than 7,000 items related to meteors, not only rocks but also rings and bracelets. Prices ranged from 5 yuan for small pieces to 60 million yuan for two meteor garnets.

Similar auctions for "meteor" fragments can also be found on eBay, a major online marketplace, and its Russian equivalent, Avito, which is reportedly being used by some residents of Chelyabinsk to recoup the losses caused by the meteorite.

However, Zhu Jin, president of Beijing Planetarium, said buying a "space rock" online is not a good investment, even if it is real.

"It's hard to distinguish genuine from fake," he said. "Only people who have seen real space rocks can tell the difference."

Zhu said that according to numerous tests he carried out, a number of items offered online for sale were found to be false. Even some from auction companies were fake.

"A precious collection only gains value years later because of the scarcity of the items, but more space rocks will be discovered in the future, denting their value," Zhu said.

He also dismissed claims by some sellers that the rocks had special healing powers.

China has no authentication certificates for space rocks.

Li Xiutang runs an online store called "Kuangwuge" on Taobao and advertises small pieces of tektite, a dark glassy material ejected into space from extraterrestrial impacts, for 26 yuan each.

He claims his space rocks are real "although they have no certificates". 

"I got them from South China, from places in Guangdong and Yunnan provinces," he told China Daily reporter posing as a customer. 

"My experience over the past 20 years in finding space rocks means I can assure you that they are real. Trust me." 

Despite doubts over their authenticity, sales of space rocks are still flying high. A private trader from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, who did not want to be identified, said he sold a small meteor weighing about 10 kg for 2,000 yuan two years ago.

"I could sell it for as much as 100,000 yuan now," he said, adding that he travels to the Gobi Desert to find the rocks.

He possesses another five space rocks that have not been officially authenticated. "My deals are done privately, not sold in shops or online."

No legislation covers the sale or import of pieces of meteorite to China. 

Zhu, from the Beijing Planetarium, said the rocks should not be sold. "The best way to deal with the space fragments is to donate them to institutes. We will reward the donators," he said.